Device for lifting fallen grain



(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 1.

. J. M. MARCH.

DEVICE FOR LIPTING FALLEN GRAIN. No. 390.496. I Patented Oct. 2, 1888.

M 4 he's viii-army N PETERS. Phowmhognphor. Walhi flm RC.

(No Model.) I 5 Sheets-Sheet 2;

J. M. MARCH.

DEVICE FOR LIPTING FALLEN GRAIN.

No. 390,496. Patented 001;. 2 188B.

N. PEYERS, mummy. wm'm m. 0.1:.

(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 3. J. M. MARCH.

DEVICE FOR LIFTING FALL-EN GRAIN.

H. PETERS. Fhnto-Lilhbgnphlr, Wanillnglnh. QC.

(No Model.) '5 Sheets-Sheet 4.

J. M. MARCH.

DEVICE FOR LIFTING FALLEN GRAIN. No. 390,496.

JacoZ mJyLa mch n. PETERS. FhuwLhhographor. \vmnn mpgg (No Model.) 5 Sheet$She et 5.

J. M. MARCH.

DEVICE FOR LIFTING FALLEN GRAIN.

No '390,496.- Patented 0011.2, 1888.

R Pmo-umoxnphu. wunin mn u c IlntrTnn STATES PATENT @rrrcn.

JACOB M. MARCH, OF PHGENIXVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

DEVICE FOR LIFTING FALLEN GRAIN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 390.496, dated October 2, 1888.

Application filed June 512, 1887.

T0 aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JACOB M. MARCH, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Phoenixville, Chester county, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Devices for Lifting Fallen Grain in Front of Harvesting llIachines, of which the following is a specification.

One object of my invention is to provide a harvestingmachine with a device for lifting fallen grain to such a height that the cutter can act effectively upon the same, a further object being to effect this lifting of the grain in advance of the action of the blades, bars, or paddles of the reel, so thatthelatter will press the lifted grain back toward the cutterbar.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front view of sufiicicnt of a harvester to show the reel and my improved grainlifting device, one of the blades of the reel being removed to more clearly illustrate the invention. Fig. 2 is a rear view of partof the machine shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line 1 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detached perspective view of the grainlifting device with the operating'head removed. Fig. 5 is a face view of the head, looking in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 1. Figs. 6 and 7 are detached views of parts of the machine, Fig. 7 illustrating a modification. Figs. 8, Q, 10, and 11 are diagrams illustrating the movements of the rake for raising the grain. Fig. 13 is a view showing a preferred form of rake-tooth, and Figs. 12, 1-1,'and 15 are views illustrating certain modifications of the invention.

In harvesting grain great di fficulty has been experienced in preventing the waste of grain that has been blown down by the wind and rain or trodden under foot. This grain,when in a condition to be collected at all, has been usually collected by hand, which is a very tedious operation.

My device for lifting the grain is constructed with a rake, which passes down between two of the blades of the reel as the latter revolves, the rake descending until the teeth or prongs nearly touch the ground, whereupon they are turned into the grain and then lifted, so as to raise thegrain into position to be caught by the oncoming blade of the reel and carried to the knives. As soon as the teeth or prongs have raised the grain to this position they re- Serial No. 242,129. (Nomodet) A is the frame of a harvester,and a the row of knives forming the cutter, and Bis an upright post attached by pivot b to the frame of the machine. This post, as in an ordinary harvesting-machine, can be adjusted so as to have more or less incline, as required. On this post is a socket,D, which can be adjusted vertically, and having its hearings in this socket is a sleeve, E, having a head, F, which carries arms 6, connected at their outer ends to blades f, the whole forming the feed-reel of the machine, which carrics the grain against the cutting-knives as the machine is moved forward. The reel is driven by a vertical shaft, G, parallel with the post B, and deriving its motion from the shaft 9 of the machine, said shaft G- being geared to the sleeve E through the medium of bevel-wheels c c.

All the above-described mechanism is old and in common use on several machines, and is described simply because my improved 1ifting device works in conjunction therewith, although said device acts on the grain independently of the blades of the reel.

Centrally situated in respect to the reel is a stationary rod, H, having its bearings at one end in the sleeve E, the opposite end of the rod being preferably squared and adapted to the head i of a rod, I, adjustable in a socket, I, which may be secured to the frame of the machinein the desired position, the rod being secured in the socket after adjustment by means of the set screw t".

The head Frevolves on the rod H, and about midway between the head F and the supporting-head 2' is a bracket, J, preferably of the form shown in Fig. 6, this bracket serving as a bearing and guide for a hollow spindle, K, which has at its upper end a head, It, guided vertically by a track, m, extending above the bracket J, as shown in Fig. 3, and bent at its upper end, so as to be secured at the point m to a tube, 6, in the rear of the bracket. The track on is also stiffened by a rod, m, extend ing from the upper portion of said track to a ICO semicircular bar, m, which is secured to the rod H. Friction-pulleys k on the head run on the outer and inner sides of the track m, thus tending to guide the spindle K in parallel line with the track.

Sliding in the hollow spindle K is a rod, K, connected at its lower end to a bar, M, carrying the rake-head N, which is provided with suitable teeth, a, and is hinged to the bar M. The movement of the bar M is controlled by mechanism, described hereinafter,aeting upon two sliding sleeves, P P, connected to the bar M by levers S SS S, the levers S S being pivoted to the sleeves P Pand jointed at their lower ends to the upper ends of the levers S, the lower ends of which are pivoted to the ends of the bar M. Rods L L connect the head is to the levers S at the points 8 8.

Between the two levers S S is interposed. a spring, S, which tends to force apart the upper ends of the levers and the sleeves P P, and to the center of this spring is connected a rod, 8 which passes up into the tube 8 at the rear of the bracket J, this rod and tube serving to steady the levers in their movements and the tube forming a guide for the rod 8". The main duty of the spring S which connects the levers S, however, is to provide fulerums for said levers, so that when their upper ends are moved toward each other by the sleeves P P the lower ends of the levers will be lowered and moved apart from each other, and like movement will be imparted to the levers S, while when the latter levers are elevated by the spring, through the medium of the spindle K and rods L, the lower ends of the levers S will be lifted and moved toward each other, the upper ends of the levers and the slides P P being separated.

On the head 70 of the hollow spindle K is an eye, If, through which passes one end of a spring, T, which is secured to a sleeve, t, on the rod H.

I will now describe the mechanism for lowering the bar M and its rake-head and for turning the latter.

Connected to the sleeve P is a rod, U, which extends parallel with the rod H nearly to the revolving reel-head F, at which point it has its bearings in a box, a, secured to the rod H, and has a right-angled finger or projection, u, with which engage successively the inner hooked ends of sliding catches 2 3 4 5, adapted to and free to slide in bearings on the head F of the reel, there being one of these catches for each of the spaces between the blades of the reel, as shown in Fig. 5. These catches are provided at their outer ends with angular fingers 6, and as the reel rotates the fingers 6 of the successive catches engage with a finger, 7, on a sliding bar, 8, which is connected, through the medium of a rod, 11, to a crank, 9, ona shaft, 10, the latter being adapted to a suitable bearing on the socket D, and being driven by means of bevel-gears gg from the shaft G under control of a clutch-lever, 9 Fig. 1. As the shaft 10 revolves, therefore, it

imparts a reciprocating motion to the sliding bar 8, the finger 7 of which is of sufficient width to retain its hold upon a catch-finger until said finger 7 has been moved toward the post B to its farthest extent, when the catch-finger will be released by reason of the rotary movement of the reel, thus freeing the catch, whereupon aspring, 12, returns said catch to its normal position. Vhile the finger 6 of the catch is in engagement with the finger 7 of the sliding bar 8 the hooked inner end of said catch is in engagement with the finger u of the rod U; hence the latter is drawn toward the head F, thus drawing the sleeve P toward the bracket J, and there is a like movement of the sleeve P toward the bracket, owing to the fact that the latter sleeve is connected to the sleeve P through the medium of a cord or chain, 13, which passes over a pulley, 14, and is secured at one end to the sleeve P and at its other end to the sleeve P. The movement of the two sleeves toward each other effects a downward thrust upon the barM at the other ends of the I levers S S, and when the sleeves have reached the limit of their inward movement the bar M, with its rake-head, will be close to the ground, and the rake-teeth will be in position toengage with the fallen grain; but as soon as the reel passes a certain point the operative catch on the reel is released from engagement with the finger 7 of the draft-bar 8, thus releasing the rod U and sleeves P P from strain and permitting the springs T and S to return the bar M to the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1, which is sulficiently high to permit the arms and blades of the reel .to pass under the device, in order to feed against the knives the grain that has been lifted by said device.

The rod U is bent, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, so as to clear the spindle K, this bent portion being of somewhat greater length than the extent of movement of the rod.

Guided below the rod H is a rod, V, connected to a cord or ehain,V, which passes over apulley, o, hung to astnd projecting from the rear of the bracket J.

The cord or chain V passes down around a pulley, w, on the pivoted rakehead N, and thence up behind the bar M to a ring, w, on the top of said bar. The opposite end of the rod V is acted upon in precisely the same mannor as the rod U, only at a different time; in fact the movements are alternate, one catch-- say,for instance, the catch 3leaving the finger 7 of the sliding draft-bar 8 shortly after the catch at has engaged with a finger, 15, on a similar sliding draft-bar, 16, connected by a rod, 18, to a crank, 17, on the shaft 10, (see Fig. 2,) the two cranks being set opposite to each other-that is to say, with an arc of one hundred and eighty degrees between them, so that when one draft-bar is fully out the other is fully in. As the catch engaging with the finger l5 draws the rod V toward the post B, said rod pulls upon the cord or ehainV, passing around the pulley on the rake-head, and

swings the same, so as to thrust its teeth into the grain, and when this movement has been completed the continued draft upon the cord Veffectsa lifting movement of the bar M and its rake, thus causing the latter to impart a direct lift to the grain with which its teeth may be engaged. Although the rod U has by this time been released from the control of the bar 8, the rake-carrying bar M cannot be raised by the springs, owing to the fact that the rake is held by the grain which it has caught; but as soon as the catch which is-acting upon the rod V is released from the control of the finger 15 of the draft-bar 16 the rake is at liberty to swing downward, so as to free itself fromthe grain, and the springs then act to lift the bar M and the rake out of the way of the arms and blade of the reel, thclatter sweeping backward, so as to carry the lifted grain to the cutter-bar. A quick upward movement of the bar is necessary, and this is effected by the use of the springs S and T, the former driving apart the upper ends, and hence bringing together and lifting the lower ends of the levers S, and the spring T imparting a direct lift to the levers S.

In Figs. 8, 9, and 10 I have shown diagrams illustrating the operation of the lifting device. Fig. 8 shows the bar M and its rake at their lowest position prior to the turning of the rake backward into the grain. Fig. 9 shows the bar with the rake turned into the grain and ready to raise the same. Fig. 10 shows the bar and its rake raised above the cutter, ready to be released, and Fig. 11 shows the rake released from the grain and in the act of being elevated, so as not to interfere with the sweep of the reel-bladef.

In some cases I prefer to provide the rake head N with teeth a, each having in the rear and below the head a coil, 91, as shown in Fig. 18, this coil rendering the projecting portion of the tooth so elastic that in case it strikes an obstruction it will yield, and will thus not interfere with the movement of the rake head.

The rod or shaft H may be square or manysided, or may be made of channel or T iron, without departing from my invention, and anti-friction rollers may be placed on different parts of the machine where found necessary, and especially on the fingers of the catches, as shown-in Fig. 7.

The catches on the head F may, if desired, be dispensed with. For instance, as shown in Fig. 12, the rod U is contained within a hollow rod, H, the head F turning on the rod and being driven by spur-wheels from a shaft, 21, above the same.

The rod U projects beyond the end of the hollow rod H, and is operated directly by a cam, 22, on the shaft 10. In this case, as will be readily understood, the rod V is likewise located in the hollow rod H, and is operated by a similar cam, 23, on the shaft 10, the cams being so set on the shaft as to act alternately, as desired.

To aid the springT in lifting the bar M and its rake, I place in the hollow shaft springs 24, which bear against a central block, 25, and against the two blocks I P, which slide within the hollow rod or tube in this instance, instead of being in the form of sleeves, as in Fig. 1, the hollow rod or tube being slotted on the under side for the passage of the lugs to which the levers S are hung.

It must be remembered that the fallen grain does not lie in perfeetly'straight layers, but is often in a very tangled mass, so that it would be almost impossible to lift the grain to such an extent as to disentangle it, as this would either stop the movement of the machine or tear the grain from the ground by the roots; hence I content myself with simply raising the fallen grain to a sufficient height to permit the effective action of the cutter.

In some cases the reel may be dispensed with and the lifting device alone employed; but I prefer in all cases where practicable to use the reel.

It is desirable in some cases to impart a side wise movement to the bar M and its rake as said bar is being raised or lowered. This can be effected by securing the sleeve 1 to the rod H and permitting the bracket J to slide on the latter. Such an arrangement is illustrated in Figs. 14 and 15, the sleeve P being secured to the rod, so that as the levers S S are folded in lifting the rake-bar there is a longitudinal movement both of the bracket J and sleeve I, as will be readily understood on comparing the two figures which represent the two ex tremes of movement of the parts. In this case the pulley for the draft-cord V is carried by a fixed collar on the rod H, as shown. To prevent confusion, the rod U, for operating the sleeve I, has been omitted from these figures.

I am aware that the blades of harvesterreels have been provided with teeth and have been acted upon so as to swing upon the carrierarms, and also that like swinging rakebars have been carried by rotating crank arms located in advance of the cutter; but such constructions are essentially different from and are not capable of attaining the objeet of the construction forming the subject of my invention. In the latter the grainlifting rake is separate from the reel blades, and when used in connection with the latter its action is a preparatory one, the grain being lifted bodily upward from the ground in position for the effective action of the blade of the reel as the latter swings backward over the cutter-bar, whereas in the case of a rake carried by the reel-blade there is no preparatory lift of the grain and no direct lift at all, as the movement of the reel-blade through that portion of its circular path within which it would have to act upon the fallen grain is almost horizontal; hence said reel-blade is practically valueless as a means of lifting fallen grain to the cutters. The same objection applies, in a measure, to any device in which the rake is carried in a circular path in front of the cutter, for there cannot in such a device be that direct lift of the grain which I attain by my reciprocating rake, for in the latter there is a direct and substantially vertical movement of the rake close to the cutter as soon as said rake has secured a proper hold upon the grain.

Having thus described my invention, Iclaim and desire to secure by Letters'latent- 1. lnagrain-lifting device for harvesters,the combination ofa rod mounted above the cutter, a verticallyreciprocating bar suspended from and free to move from and toward said rod, a rake pivoted to the bar and extendingin front of the cutter, and means for swinging the rake on its pivot, so as to pick up the grain by a. direct lift, all substantially as specified.

2. The combination, in a harvester, of the cutter and the reel with agrain-lifting device having a rake separate from the reel-blades, whereby the grain is lifted up in front of the cutter for the action of said reel-blades, substantially as specified.

3. The combination, in a harvester, of the cutter, the rotating reel having a series of arms and blades, a rake bar separate from said reelblades, a supporting-rod mounted above the cutter, and hinged and folding connections whereby the rake-bar is suspended from the said rod, all substantially as specified.

4. The combination, in a harvester, of the cutter, the rotating reel having a series of arms and blades, a rake-bar separate from said reelbladcs and having a rake pivoted to it, a supporting-rod mounted above the cutter, sliding sleeves on said rod, jointed levers connecting the sleeves to the rake-bar, a connection forming fulcrums for one pair of levers, a spring for lifting the rake-bar, a draftcord connected to the pivoted rake-head, and devices for operating the sliding sleeves and draft-cord in the intervals between the action of successive blades of the reel, all substantially as specified.

5. The combination of the supporting-rod, the sliding sleeves thereon, the rakebar, jointed levers connecting said bar to the sliding sleeves, a connection forming fulcrums for one pair of said levers, a lifting-spring and guide-spindle, rods connecting said levers and spindle, a bearing for the latter, and means for drawing the sliding sleeves toward each other, all substantially as specified.

6. The combination of the supporting rod, the sliding sleeves thereon, the rakebar, jointed levers connecting said bar to the sliding sleeves, a connection forming fulcrums for one pair of said levers, a lifting-spring and guide-spindle, aguidetrack for the upper end of the latter, rods connecting the levers and guide-spindle, and means for drawing the sliding sleeves toward each other, all substantially as specified.

7. The combination of the supporting-rod, the sliding sleeves thereon, the rake bar, jointed levers connecting said bar to the sliding sleeves, a connection forming fulcrums for one pair of the levers, a liftingspring and guide-spindle, rods connecting the levers and guide-spindle, a bracket carried by the sup porting-rod and serving as a bearing for the spindle, and means for drawing the sliding sleeves toward each other, all substantially as specified.

8. The combination of the supportingrod, the sliding sleeves thereon, the rake-bar, the jointed levers connecting said barto the sleeves, a connection forming a fulcrum for one pair of said levers, the lifting-spring, the guide-spindle actuated thereby, a rod connected to the rake-bar and free to slide in the spindle, a bearing for said spindle, rods connecting the jointed levers and guide-spindle, and means for drawing the sliding sleeves toward each other, all substantially as specified.

9. The combination of the supporting-rod, the sliding sleeves thereon, the rake-bar, jointed levers connecting said bar to the sliding sleeves, a guide-spindle, rods connecting the levers and guide-spindle, a bearing for the latter, a spring interposed between the upper pair of jointed levers and forming fulcrums therefor, and means for drawing the sliding sleeves toward each other, all substantially as specified.

10. The combination of the supporting-rod, the sliding sleeves thereon, the rakebar, jointed levers connecting said bar to the sliding sleeves, a guide spindle, rods connecting the levers and guide-spindle, a bearing for the latter, a spring interposed between the upper pair of jointed levers and forming fulcrums therefor, a rod connected to said spring, a guide for said rod, and means for drawing the sliding sleeves toward each other, all substantially as specified.

11. The combination of a rod mounted above the cutter of a harvester, a rake-bar, a rake hinged to said bar, means for supporting the rakebar from the supporting-rod, a draft-rod guided on said supporting-rod, a cord connecting the said draft-rod to the rake-head, and means for pulling upon and releasing said draft-rod, all substantially as specified.

12. The combination of the rake-bar and means for lifting the same, the supportingrod, the sliding sleeves thereon, jointed levers connecting the rake-bar and sliding sleeves, a

connection forming a fulcrum for one pair of the levers, an operating-rod connected to one of the sleeves and guided on the supportingrod, a reciprocating bar on the fixed frame of the machine parallel with said sleeveoperating rod, and a rotating reel carrying sliding catches, which as the reel rotates are brought into engagement with the sleeve-operating rod and reciprocating bar, all substantially as specified. 1

13. The combination of the rake-bar and means for lifting the same, the supporting-rod, the sliding sleeves thereon, jointed levers connecting the rake-bar and sliding sleeves, a connection forming a fulcrum for one pair of the levers, a cord passing around a pulley on the supporting-rod and connecting the sleeves together, an operating-rod connected to one of the sleeves and guided on the supporting-rod,

a reciprocating bar guided on the fixed frame of the machine parallel with said sleeve-operating rod, and a rotating reel carrying sliding catches, which as the reel rotates are brought into engagement with the sleeveoperating rod and reciprocating bar, all substantially as specified.

14. The combination of the supporting-rod, the sliding sleeves thereon, the rake-bar having a hinged rake, thejointed levers connecting the said bar to the sliding sleeves, a connection forming fnlcrnins for one pairof the levers, the lifting-spring and guide-spindle, rods connecting the jointed levers and gnidespindle, a bearing for said spindle, an operating-rod c0nnected to one of the sliding sleeves and guided on the supporting-rod, a draltrod, likewise mounted thereon, a draft-cord connecting said rod to the hinged rake, two reciprocating bars guided on the fixed frame, one on one side of the supporting-rod and parallel w th the draft-rod, and the other on the other s1de of the supportingrod and parallel with the sleeve-operating rod, and a reel carrying a series of sliding catches, which as the reel rotates are brought into engagement, first w th the sleeve-operating rod and its reciprocating bar, and then with the draft-rod and its reciprocating bar, all substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two snhscribing witnesses.

JACOB M. MARCH.

\Vitnesses:

WILLIAM D. CoNNEn, HENRY HOWSON. 

